Technology Trouble and Meeting the New Neighbors

So, it’s been a wild 12 days for technology at our house. We’ve been having trouble with both our phone line and our internet, intermittently since May 31! We’ve gone days without reliable phone service, it has cut in and out…amazing what weirdness happens when phone lines are shorting out at a junction box. Last night was the craziest. The phone would show “no line” or “line in use” in the display, but it would ring, I would answer, then you’d hear what sounded like an old rotary dial phone ringing through the line. We’ve had to call our phone company something like 5 times, they’ve repaired the problem three times (counting today), the first time we called, no one showed and we called to complain. I’m very disappointed, because this company (no, I’m not going to say who here) has been great until this. We’ve only had two other problems, and they were very minor, with our modem. And someone came out right away and solved the problem in a snap. This time has tried my patience. Our cell provider (a HUGE national company) has virtually zero service in a 5-7 mile radius of our house, so we’ve been kind of cut off from the world. Let’s put it this way, I had to drive to the other side of our little town to be able to use my cell to call the phone company! Crazy, right? I’m just not sure I’m willing to change cell companies…we’ve been with the same company for something like 8-10 years. The repairman is back, maybe he is going to tell me like the last time the problem is “solved….”

Turns out that the problem was at a different junction box, and cause by a mouse! Same basic issue as last time, different place. Hopefully this is the last of the phone issues for a while.

I also met the new neighbors yesterday…well, the woman and kid. The man was at work. (That right there is a good sign.) The reason I went over was because someone who was at their house on Sunday decided to urinate in the yard. No big deal, right? We are out in the country. It’s not big deal if you aren’t facing my house while you are doing it! I could tell exactly what he was doing! I am thankful it turned out not to be the man living there, but a visitor. Bless the neighbor lady’s heart, she was so embarrassed. I’m very glad I went over to talk to them. We ended up talking for almost 2 hours! We have quite a bit in common. Not the least of which is her son (the only one not grown) is Bug’s age. And by that I mean, they are mere days apart! Decent neighbors are always welcome.

We also said good-bye to one of our kittens yesterday. Zayn, our only boy, went home to his new family last evening. He will have other kitties and kiddies to play with. A friend from the Hub’s former employer adopted him, so I’m sure I’ll get to see photos of him as he grows, and we’ll get to hear updates on him. One down, two-three to do. (Yes, I’m still thinking about keeping one.)

That’s enough for today. I think it’s time to start shutting windows and turn on the air-conditioning, because it’s shaping up to be a really warm one today.